


Empty Eyes

by prettylittletraitors



Category: Dexter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Serial Killers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:33:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29180313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettylittletraitors/pseuds/prettylittletraitors
Summary: When a new officer starts at Miami Metro, Dexter can't help but take notice when he notices what hides behind her eyes. Emptiness. The same emptiness he knows is inside him too. Kayla brings a new sense of danger to Dexter's life, from her violent instincts to her friendship with Sergeant Doakes. Will she be his salvation or lead to his downfall? Dexter/OC
Relationships: Dexter Morgan/Original Female Character(s), James Doakes/Original Female Character(s), Rita Bennett/Dexter Morgan, Rudy Cooper/Debra Morgan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	1. First Impression

The homicide department was abuzz with activity as Dexter exited the elevator, finding a crowd of people surrounding LaGuerta's office. He closed the box of doughnuts in his arms, getting the feeling there was something far more interesting happening than the sugary treats he had bought. Debra was leaning against his lab door, her arms crossed, and lips drawn in a fine line. He made a beeline towards his sister, glad that she wasn't wearing her usual 'sex-suit'.

"It's un-fucking-believable, right?" Debra complained, her eyes flickering to the growing crowd.

"What's going on?" Dexter questioned, following her gaze.

It was then that he spotted a young brunette at the middle of the crowd, looking uncomfortable with all the attention being forced upon her. She practically shoved her way through the crowd, taking a seat at Sergeant Doakes' desk. Just as Dexter was getting a better look at the girl, Vince Masuka stood in the way, a dirty grin plastered on his face as always.

"Sixteen months she's been on the force, and she already gets into Homicide? It's fucked up, Dex" Debra went on, her jaw tense.

"Right, I forgot there was a new officer transferring in today" Dexter nodded, slowly.

"How could you forget? It's all anyone's been talking about all week. Maybe if I get shot in the arm, I'll get promoted too" Debra scoffed, making Dexter frown before he realised she was being sarcastic.

"She did help bring down a serial killer, Deb" Dexter pointed out, the case starting to come back to him.

A particularly nasty murderer, who enjoyed taking the tongues from his victims and then sending them to their grieving spouses a few days later. The killer had been on Dexter's radar, but he had been yet to find out the identity of the man before the Rookie Cop did. With the help of Sergeant Doakes, they had apprehended the killer, and the brunette had shot him dead. It had been all over the papers only a few months ago. She was a hailed a hero, especially after being injured in the crossfire, something which still appeared to be happening. Dexter was still yet to find out how the young girl had made the jump…and the chance had seemed to fall into his lap.

"I didn't realise you were part of the fan-club" Debra mocked, looking unimpressed.

"I'm just saying…I mean, have you even talked to her?" Dexter tried to reason, as Debra pursed her lips.

"Oh, shut up, Dex" Debra muttered, hitting the box of doughnuts, causing it to fall to his hands, a few of the sugary treats rolling over the floor.

"Mature, Deb. Very mature" Dexter sighed, under his breath, picking up the box to find there was only one doughnut left.

Dusting the box off, he made his way towards the crowd, dropping the object on the desk, drawing the girl's attention from the obscene gesture Masuka had been making. He wondered if Vince would ever tire of his jokes, just as the rest of the station had.

"The last doughnut for the hero of the hour" Dexter announced, putting on his best fake smile.

"Your about three months too late, mate" An amused voice replied, with a clear English accent.

As the young girl looked up at him, Dexter felt his jaw go slack, his brain coming to a halt. As her blue eyes connected with his, he felt a stab of recognition. The same that he always felt when he looked at a killer. There was nothing behind her eyes, just a coldness that he felt wrap around his body. He began to question whether she had shot the serial killer in self-defence at all.

"I'm Kayla" The girl smiled, her eyes suddenly changing.

Dexter's forehead wrinkled as he saw the darkness inside her was masked in a split-second, now emitting nothing but warmth.

**_How was she able to do that so quickly?_ **

She was young, he realised. Younger than he had expected. Wrapped up tightly in her police uniform, covering up her pale skin, her brunette hair in a tight ponytail. And still staring at him with those bright blue eyes...

"Never seen a pretty girl before, Socio?" Angel laughed, slapping Dexter on the back.

It was then that Dexter realised he was yet to reply, too caught up in his own thoughts. Thankfully, everyone around him seemed to think it was because he was attracted to the young girl. Better than the alternative, he thought to himself.

"Dexter. Dexter Morgan" He exclaimed, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you" Kayla smiled, linking their hands together, finding him to be far warmer.

"…Oh, and thanks for the doughnut" Kayla added, a few seconds later, pulling away when she realised she had been shaking his hand still.

"No problem" Dexter shrugged, forcing the smile back onto his face.

He saw how Kayla's forehead wrinkled at this gesture and started to panic. The smile faded from his features as quickly as it appeared.

**_Could she see him as well as he could see her? Did she even understand what she sensed in him?_ **

"The fuck are you doing here, Morgan? I don't want your weirdo ass anywhere near my desk" A familiar voice boomed behind Dexter.

"Ass leaving" Dexter muttered, taking a few steps back.

"As charming as ever, Smiley" Kayla exclaimed, punching Doakes lightly in the shoulder.

Dexter's feet faltered as he heard a strange noise leave Doakes' lips. Was he…laughing? It seemed so wrong coming from the usually angry man.

"How the fuck have you been?" Doakes questioned, a small smile playing at his lips.

"I'd have been better if you'd have visited me more often" Kayla accused, as Dexter made his way back to his desk.

"Well, you know…I was busy and shit" Doakes muttered, as Kayla rolled her eyes, amused.

Dexter always felt uncomfortable around social interaction and any sort of affection. Why was it Doakes had always seen the darkness in him but seemed oblivious to whatever was inside of his Rookie? With a shake of his head, Dexter walked back into his lab, trying to push the cold blue eyes from his mind. Maybe he was wrong about her.

**_What was it Harry always said? Sometimes first impressions can be wrong._ **

* * *

"So, anything jumping out at you?" Angel questioned Kayla, who was pacing around the empty swimming pool.

Well, empty apart from the mutilated body inside. It seemed so out of place on the sunny Miami day, completely drained of blood, and carved up into pieces. What a waste, she thought to herself.

"Whoever did this was a sick son of a bitch" Kayla shrugged, as Angel gave her a look.

"I figured that for myself" Angel pointed out, as Kayla ran a hand through her hair.

"I got lucky with the Tongue Killer" Kayla insisted, disappointing Angel.

"Did someone say something about tongues?" Masuka asked, with a grin, making Kayla pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Is he always on?" Kayla inquired, as Angel nodded, sadly.

"We haven't figured a way to turn him off yet" Angel told her.

"And you certainly turn me on" Masuka smirked, as Kayla pushed him away for her, making him stumble backwards.

"Ah, here comes someone who might be able to help" Angel announced, as Kayla twisted around to see Dexter walking towards them.

The man appeared to be lost for words as he crouched down beside the corpse, his brow furrowed in…amazement? She supposed it was an impressive feat for the killer to display the body in such a way and not be seen.

"How is he doing it? How does the killer get rid of the blood?" Dexter frowned, his eyes never leaving the body, not even seeming to notice Kayla's presence.

"It's hard to say. The body's in good shape. She got a nice ass—" Angel was cut off as Kayla hit around the back of the head.

"Nice, Angel. Very professional" Kayla scoffed, unamused.

"You've got a nice ass too" Masuka chuckled, as Kayla turned to him with a glare.

Masuka had the sense to rush towards the swimming pool steps as Kayla stormed towards him, her hand raised in the air. She didn't take any shit, Dexter noted. He'd have to remember that.

"This is unique" Dexter muttered, as the attention came back to him.

"No prints either" Angel added.

**_I've never seen such clean, dry, neat-looking dead flesh. Wonderful._ **

"Very clean" Dexter mumbled, feeling Kayla's gaze on him.

"Yeah, but he didn't finish. No terminó" Angel informed him.

"It looks pretty completo to me, Angel" Dexter retorted, as Kayla came to crouch down beside him.

"No, no. Look. He cut the leg in four pieces, almost like using a ruler. But this leg is in three pieces. Now, look, he started to make a fourth cut but stopped. It's possible he got interrupted" Angel theorised, as Kayla shook her head.

"The killer didn't cut her up here. I doubt anyone would be that stupid" Kayla commented, dismissively.

"It would make sense to why there's no blood" Dexter agreed, turning to her.

"I think…" Kayla trailed off, unsurely.

"Go on" Dexter urged, tilting his head.

"He's wrapped up pieces of the body, tied the string on them. It's like the bodies are—" Kayla began, but Dexter cut her off.

"Gift-wrapped" Dexter realised, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, but for who?" Kayla questioned, as their eyes connected for the second time that day.

Dexter frowned when he realised his lips had twitched into a smile on their own accord at some point. He searched her eyes, not being able to find what he saw earlier that day and started to question himself. Maybe he just wanted to believe someone else was like him and could live a seemingly ordinary life.

**_No blood. I can't think. I need to get out of here._ **

"Stop sniffing around my Rookie, psycho" Doakes announced, somehow having crept up on them.

"Hey, they were just coming up with a theory. You know what Dexter's like with his hunches" Angel exclaimed, as Doakes placed a hand on his hip.

"Yeah, he's always good with fucked up shit" Doakes accused, as Kayla pushed herself to her feet.

"Isn't that a good thing in this job?" Kayla stated, unsure why she was backing up the strange man.

"You shouldn't even be here, Morgan. Have you been to the Hotel Cokehead murders yet?" Doakes asked, as Dexter nodded.

"Just on my way there now, Sergeant. Deb just wanted to—" Dexter started, but Doakes stopped him.

"I don't care, weirdo. Just get there" Doakes dismissed, as Dexter's jaw tensed for a second.

"James. I need you up here" LaGuerta called from the pool edge, as the man turned around.

"I've got my own case" Doakes pointed out, as LaGuerta quirked an eyebrow.

"This trumps all other cases right now. Besides, you can put your partner on the hotel murders" LaGuerta told him, before walking away, not giving him a chance to argue.

"Does that mean I get let off my leash?" Kayla beamed, excitedly.

"Just stick to the book, Rookie" Doakes rolled his eyes.

"Yes, sir" Kayla teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

* * *

Kayla's excitement quickly dissipated the moment she entered the bloody crime scene, a more calculating look growing behind her eyes. As Dexter snapped photos of the blood spatter all around the room, he found his gaze kept coming back to her.

_**What was she thinking? Did she really have a killer instinct inside?** _

"What kind of weapon do you think this guy used?" Kayla asked, surprising Dexter.

When he worked with Doakes, he was used to either getting completely ignored or sworn at. This seemed like a refreshing change, which he was more than happy to reply to.

"Probably a very sharp knife…Look at the blood spatter. Look at the patterns. It tells a story" Dexter announced, ushering her over to a nearby wall stained red.

There were red ribbons draped nearby to the blood spatter, which Kayla guessed was helpful to show the direction of the blood flow. That was about where her knowledge started and ended.

"You see this big pond of blood right there? That's from the initial stab. The male victim was standing right here, and the killer plunged his knife into the shoulder, severing the carotid artery. Notice the long, thick, heavy drips?" Dexter went on, voice filled with nervous energy.

"Quick kill" Kayla mumbled, as Dexter nodded.

"Now, over here, you have nice, clean sprays of blood, that can only happen when you're holding something light and moving quick- nice, sharp slices through the body. No splashes, no drips. Clean and easy. This guy knew how to use a blade…" Dexter trailed off, after creating the slashing motions with his hands.

"You really get into this stuff, huh?" Kayla guessed, noticing the excitement in Dexter's eyes when he talked.

"It's my job" Dexter shrugged, cursing himself internally.

"So, this killer killed the man quickly but took his sweet time with the woman. How come?" Kayla inquired, touching one of the red ribbons with her fingertip.

"…It was personal" Dexter muttered, causing her blue eyes to snap up to his.

"You think the killer knew the victims?" Kayla asked.

"Just the female. Could be a crime of passion" Dexter suggested, taking another picture of the scene.

"I'll bear it in mind when I talk to Doakes" Kayla exclaimed.

"Alright, time to eat" Dexter mumbled to himself, packing up his camera equipment, as Kayla quirked an eyebrow.

"This doesn't put you off your food?" Kayla asked, as Dexter's forehead wrinkled.

"Uh…well, maybe a little—" Dexter stuttered, but she cut him off.

"It doesn't affect my appetite either. You want to grab a sandwich?" Kayla inquired, as Dexter breathed a small sigh of relief.

**_Why was she asking him that? Was she trying to suss out what was wrong with him? How did—_ **

"…Or you can tell me to fuck off" Kayla laughed, when Dexter didn't reply.

"No, uh…no. That's fine. We can eat in my car" Dexter told her, as the pair made their way towards the door of the property.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and they were both busy devouring the pork sandwiches, and drinks in their laps after Dexter had parked them outside a local hotel. Maybe he could get in a little bit of field research while on his lunch break. His eyes fell on the valet in the parking lot, homing in on the very specific tattoo on his arm. He knew the man was a killer, but he had to abide by Harry's rules.

_**Always.** _

"So, what's the truth, Dexter?" Kayla questioned, cutting through his thoughts.

"What?" Dexter frowned, coughing awkwardly.

"I mean why does Doakes hate you so much?" Kayla clarified, taking a sip from the straw in her cup.

"I think hate is a bit of a strong word…" Dexter trailed off, making Kayla scoff.

"Hmm, I don't think so. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a voodoo doll of you with pins sticking out" Kayla stated.

"He hates lab geeks" Dexter shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

"You wanna' know what I think?" Kayla asked, as Dexter slowly nodded.

"Doakes likes to be in control. You know, the Alpha male. And something tells me you don't submit to him so easily" Kayla went on.

"You got all that from two interactions?" Dexter huffed, as Kayla took a bite out of her sandwich.

"I have excellent observations skills. Which brings me to my next question…why are you stalking this guy?" Kayla inquired, ushering to the valet across the road.

**_Shit. This girl was going to be more of a problem than he realised. Why had he been so obvious? Unless…was the monster inside testing her?_ **

"…I saw him grope a woman last week while I was at the hotel. She didn't press charges. I wanted to make sure this wasn't a common behaviour" Dexter explained, hoping his flimsy excuse would hold up.

"Well, he certainly seems like a douchebag" Kayla muttered, watching the way he leered at a blonde who was exiting her car.

"Not much we can do about it though, right?" Dexter suggested, more of a question than a statement.

Dexter watched as she kept her eyes firmly on the valet for a few more seconds, her jaw tense. He could see the cogs turning in her head. The darkness inside him practically twitched with excitement.

**_Was she going to rise to the bait?_ **

"We could hit him with the car. Call it a public service" Kayla stated, before laughing, making it clear that she had been joking.

"If only" Dexter chuckled, the motion feeling forced, as he had rather liked her idea.

"So, how'd you get involved in blood spatter? Doesn't exactly sound like the sort of thing promoted at the career fair?" Kayla teased, turning fully to face him.

"I went into med school…my father's idea. But I realised…I wanted some a little different" Dexter admitted.

"Huh, so you could have been Doctor Dexter then?" Kayla inquired, as Dexter felt his lips twitching into an amused smile.

"I don't think I would have had the right bedside manner" Dexter told her.

"I don't know, you seem a lot nicer than some of the Doctor's I've worked with" Kayla shrugged, catching Dexter's attention.

"You worked in healthcare?" Dexter queried.

"Got through a year and a half of nursing school before dropping out. Went into the police force instead" Kayla explained, taking the last bite of her sandwich.

"Why?" Dexter questioned, watching her face fall.

"…It sounds a bit weird…" Kayla trailed off, as Dexter raised an eyebrow, wanting her to continue.

"When you're a nurse, sure you get a lot of shitty patients, but others…it's all praise non-stop. They put you on a pedestal. I guess…I didn't like it" Kayla confessed, fidgeting with the food wrapper in her hands.

"But why the police force?" Dexter insisted.

"Can you name a group of people more hated than the cops?" Kayla pointed out, making Dexter frown.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I've got issues—" Kayla began, but Dexter cut her off.

"Don't we all?" Dexter replied, as Kayla gave him a small smile.

And again, Dexter found himself smiling back. A genuine smile, not the one that pulled at his cheeks and hurt afterwards. A second later, Kayla's phone began bleeping, as she flipped it open to reveal a message from Doakes, a laugh leaving her lips.

"Doakes says and I quote, 'If that psycho hasn't killed you yet, get your ass back to the station, we need to debrief'" Kayla announced, with an amused shake of her head.

Dexter's forehead wrinkled as he looked at the time on his watch and found that their lunchbreak was already over. In fact, they were already ten minutes over.

**_When was the last time he had such a 'real' conversation with someone?...Probably with Harry._ **

* * *

Kayla and Doakes walked side by side towards the briefing room the next day, ready to hear what progress, if any, had been made with the latest serial killer in Miami. They were both quick to spot Dexter, who was standing in the middle of the corridor, staring intently at a crying woman, being comforted by Detectives nearby. Before Kayla could stop him, Doakes was creeping up behind the unsuspecting man.

"What do you care about that woman?" Doakes asked, practically breathing down Dexter's neck.

"I don't. I was just—" Dexter started, but Doakes was quick to cut stop him.

"You like when women cry? You like that? What's your thing, psycho?" Doakes goaded, making Dexter scoff.

"I was just heading to the briefing room" He retorted.

"You got no call to be in there, so flee" Doakes insisted, as Kayla grabbed him by his blazer jacket, pulling him a step back.

"James, stop it" Kayla warned, with a roll of her eyes.

"Lieutenant, this fucking guy doesn't belong. I'm still waiting for his spatter report on the cokehead murders. Go do that" Doakes sneered, catching LaGuerta's attention.

"It's okay. I don't want to upset anybody" Dexter exclaimed, as easy going as ever.

"He can stay. I'd like your input, and we'll discuss your case after the meeting" LaGuerta overruled, as Angel opened the door to the briefing room, holding it open for her and Dexter.

"Goddamn prick" Doakes muttered under his breath, ready to follow them, but was held back by Kayla.

"What the hell was that?" Kayla complained.

"You know the creep gets under my skin" Doakes pointed out.

"Your gonna' get yourself fired if you keep this up…I'm serious, you need to back off" Kayla insisted, causing Doakes to roll his eyes.

"What did you learn in the case?" Doakes asked, in a hushed voice.

"Seems like the killer was mainly going after the woman. Maybe a—" Kayla started, but Doakes stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"No. About Morgan" Doakes clarified, as Kayla pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Is that why you let me go off on my own? You wanted me to what, gather info on your obsession?" Kayla complained.

"Not exactly…" Doakes trailed off, as Kayla shoved past him, not wanting to hear anymore.

Kayla managed to catch the attention of the half the station, as she through the briefing doors open, causing them to smack against the wall. Dexter watched as Doakes followed her a few seconds later, letting out a long sigh.

**_Trouble in paradise?_ **

* * *

The briefing was ridiculously short, as LaGuerta seemed to use it as an opportunity to simply tear her colleague's a new one. Kayla sat next to Angel, her arms crossed, as she avoided Doakes' gaze. He was so bloody self-centred sometimes, she thought to herself.

"Cell crystalisation…on the last victim, I'd like to check and see if any refrigerated trucks have been stolen in the last...week or so" A female voice announced, as she stood upright.

She was a skinny brunette, which Kayla vividly remembered Masuka drooling over the day before. She couldn't remember what relation the woman was to Dexter. Sister or girlfriend?

"Refrigerated trucks like ice-cream trucks?" LaGuerta replied, mockingly.

"No, not ice-cream trucks. A refrigerated vehicle that could cause that kind of tissue damage, a refrigerated truck that's...mobile so he'll be harder to catch, a refrigerated truck that might give us a lead" She continued, stuttering over her words.

Kayla's eyes widened as she realised the Cop might have been onto something. She wondered how the woman had been able to connect the dots.

"That's very interesting, very creative, Debra. Let's keep looking for the witness, okay? We know that he or she is out there. The forensic evidence, the interrupted cut proves that there was an eyewitness. Now, somebody out there saw something, so let's concentrate on finding that person, okay?" LaGuerta insisted, shooting Debra down instantly.

"Uh, Lieutenant. I think there may be more to this ice truck theory. It could be how this killer is able to transport the body parts around so easily and would give us the kill room we've been looking for. If there is cell crystallization on the bodies…it's our best bet" Kayla announced, raising her hand.

"She's got a point, Maria. No harm in looking, right?" Doakes backed her up, as LaGuerta pursed her lips.

"If you want to follow a fool's errand, then you can do it on your own time…that's all for today" LaGuerta exclaimed, adjoining the meeting.

Kayla could see Debra rushing from the briefing room, biting her lip, her eyes appearing watery. Kayla chased after her, barging through the crowd leaving the room, and calling down the corridor.

"Hey! I meant what I said in there, it's a good theory. I could—" Kayla started, before Debra cut her off.

"Look, the last thing I need is your pity. So do me a favour…fuck off" Debra retorted, her tone harsh, as she marched away.

"…I'm definitely sensing she's the sister" Kayla mumbled under her breath.

* * *

"It had nothing to do with drugs" Dexter announced, twenty minutes later, pleading his case in LaGuerta's office.

Kayla cringed as she could feel the anger coming of Doakes in waves, pissed that Dexter was once again disagreeing with him. Unfortunately for Doakes, Dexter did seem to be onto something with the cokehead murders.

"L.T., this is a waste of our damn time" Doakes complained.

"I think sergeant Doakes is right" LaGuerta agreed, from where she was leaning on her desk.

"I read the other reports, all the other forensic analysis. Everyone agrees the cokehead murders had nothing to do with cocaine. It was a crime of passion. The murderer came to kill the woman, not the dealer. He did him quick and got him out of the way. But he sure as hell took his sweet time slicing up that lady, and you don't do that unless you have a close, personal relationship with someone" Dexter explained, as Doakes grit his teeth.

"Which is something you'd know nothing about" Doakes muttered, earning an eye roll from Kayla.

"Kayla, you saw the crime scene. You said yourself, the man was a quick kill, why else would he kill the female slowly?" Dexter exclaimed, his eyes boring into hers.

She cursed herself as she flushed a little under his intense gaze. There was something strangely intimidating about the man. She found herself wanting to agree with him.

"…It did seem pretty personal. Otherwise, the two murders would likely be the same" Kayla admitted, as Doakes raised his hands up in exasperation.

"Probably an ex-boyfriend. That's who I'd look for" Dexter added, with a click of his fingers.

"Okay. It's a bit of a push, but, Sergeant, you should check it out" LaGuerta suggested, as Doakes pushed himself to his feet, storming over to Dexter.

"I'm watching you, motherfucker" Doakes hissed, as Kayla slapped her hand down on his shoulder, a little harder than needed.

"What he means is, thanks for the input" Kayla exclaimed, ushering over to LaGuerta who didn't seem impressed by the interaction.

"I had your back in the briefing. You sure you've got mine, Rookie?" Doakes retorted, shaking his head, shrugging her hand off his shoulder.

Kayla mouthed a quick 'sorry' to Dexter, before following her partner out of the room, muttering something under her breath. Dexter still didn't understand the relationship between the two. Why would anyone want to be friends with such a brute?

Packing his things up, Dexter quickly rushed back to his lab, wanting to get back to his own personal project. There was a reason he had offered for Kayla to have lunch his car, his eyes flickering to the plastic cup that he had pulled her fingerprint from. He grinned as he saw his computer had finally found a result and clicked on the link.

Kayla Dixon. Born in England. Twenty-one years old and…the rest was redacted? He furiously tapped through the different documents, but apart from the most basic information, there was nothing. It was all classified. The girl was a complete mystery to him.

**_Now I'm even more intrigued._ **


	2. Another Day in Miami

Later that night, there had been a big development in the case. A human head, to be exact. It had been thrown at Dexter’s car when he had been trailing a suspicious Ice Truck. Doakes, of course, was more interested in what Dexter was doing out at that time of the night and dragged Kayla out to the crime scene. A frown grew on Kayla’s face when she saw Dexter sitting in the back of an ambulance, looking extremely uncomfortable as LaGuerta placed a hand on his arm. Before she knew what she was doing, Kayla was marching forward, clearing her throat loudly.

“Hey Lieutenant, I think I heard the Captain’s been looking for you…sounded pretty urgent” Kayla spoke up, when she saw how LaGuerta was still gazing lustfully at Dexter.

“Rest up, Dex” LaGuerta grinned, squeezing his arm, before walking away.

“Creep” Kayla scoffed, a little louder than she should have.

She was surprised to hear a strange sound behind her, turning to see Dexter laughing lightly. Even he seemed a little surprised, covering the sound up quickly with a forced cough.

“I thought I’d come save you before you had to file a sexual harassment complaint” Kayla stated, coming to sit beside him.

“See…hero of the hour” Dexter pointed out, referencing their first meeting.

“Says the guy who may have just found our break in the case. Damn lucky too, I mean, what are the chances?” Kayla exclaimed.

“At this time of the night, guess there aren’t many vehicles around” Dexter shrugged, dismissively.

“Uh-huh. I heard the killer had the head in the front seat, makes you think…” Kayla trailed off, as Dexter’s eyes narrowed.

“What?” He asked.

“He was planning on throwing it out” Kayla told him.

“What, on some unsuspecting motorist?” Dexter frowned.

“Or, he knows you work at the station. He could have even been following you” Kayla warned him, watching the blood drain from Dexter’s face.

**_If the killer had been following him…had he seen Dexter chopping up the valet? No. He’d be in handcuffs by now if that were the case…_ **

“...Thanks for the heads-up” Dexter nodded.

“Oh my God, you did not just say that” Kayla scoffed, laughing lightly as Dexter registered his terrible pun.

“Sorry” Dexter replied, with a slight grin.

“Oh, and I’d stay out of Doakes’ way tonight. Turns out you were right about the Hotel Cokehead murders. It was her boyfriend…which has pissed Doakes off” Kayla explained, ushering to the man in question, who had a permanent frown on his face.

“Huh, he looks the same as normal to me” Dexter pointed out, as Kayla’s lips twitched into a smile, as she pushed herself to her feet.

“Night, Dexter. Try to avoid anymore flying body parts” Kayla exclaimed.

“I’ll do my best” Dexter replied, giving her a dorky salute.

* * *

Debra almost fell backwards the following morning, as a paper bag was thrust into her face as soon as she entered the station. Her forehead wrinkled when she saw who was standing in front of her, as she reluctantly took the bag. The newbie. The one who took her place in Homicide as far as she was concerned.

“Peace offering” Kayla announced, as Debra opened the bag to find bagels inside.

“I already ate breakfast” Debra retorted.

“Call it brunch then” Kayla insisted.

“What the fuck is brunch?” Debra questioned, as Kayla let out a groan.

“Bloody hell, you don’t make it easy to apologise do you?” Kayla complained, as Debra forced her to take the bag back.

“Apologise for what?” Debra frowned.

“Doakes told me you were vying for a place in Homicide, and then I—” Kayla began, as Debra cut her off.

“Turned up and fucked me over? Yeah, that sums it up” Debra scoffed, as she went to shove past her.

“Hence the bagels! Look, this one even as some kind of posh cheese in it…well, I think it’s cheese…actually maybe don’t eat this one…” Kayla trailed off, looking inside the paper bag with a grimace.

“Your goddamn persistent, aren’t you?” Debra muttered, as they began walking towards the lifts.

“I feel bad. C’mon, take the bagels and elevate my crippling guilt!” Kayla insisted, pushing the bag back into Debra’s arms.

“Okay, okay, happy now?” Debra rolled her eyes, as Kayla pressed the button for the lift.

“Very” Kayla grinned, as the doors swung open and the pair entered.

“I bet LaGuerta’s feeling pretty stupid now about shooting down your Ice Truck theory in the meeting” Kayla exclaimed, a moment later.

“When she was talking to the Captain last night, she was sweating so much I thought her eyebrows were gonna’ fall off” Debra teased, making Kayla giggle lightly.

“Hold the lift!” A voice cried, as the doors were about to shut.

The two women shared a look when they saw Masuka rush through the metal doors just in time, almost falling onto them, which seemed far too planned out to be an accident.

“Tight squeeze, huh?” Masuka grinned.

“Hey Masuka, I’ve got something for you…” Kayla announced, a mischievous look in her eyes.

“That’s usually my line” Masuka chuckled, in a dirty tone.

Debra watched as the lift sent them up to the Homicide department, while Kayla dug into the paper bag, a smirk on her face when she found what she was looking for. Just as the doors opened, Kayla pulled out the cheesy bagel and threw it in Masuka’s face, as Debra’s jaw dropped open. She then stuffed the rest of the bagel into the man’s mouth, as Debra began to laugh uncontrollably.

“Woah…” Masuka trailed off, spitting the bagel out, as the two women exited the lift.

“Jesus Masuka, are you turned on by that?” Debra scoffed.

“…I think I am” Masuka nodded, as Kayla face palmed.

“Nice face cream, four-eyes” Doakes greeted Masuka, as the three walked into the Homicide department.

“Oh, well seeing as you like it so much…” Kayla grinned, holding out her hand which still had some of the sticky cheese on her fingers.

“You touch me, and you die” Doakes warned, holding his finger up.

“ _Ooo_ , scary” Kayla mocked, thrusting her fingers in his face.

“I really hate you sometimes, you know that, Rookie?” Doakes complained, brushing her hand away.

“No, you don’t” Kayla grinned, hitting his shoulder.

She then proceeded to walk towards the kitchen to wash off the cheese before she got in trouble for making a scene at work. Doakes really did need to lighten up sometimes, she thought to herself. After scrubbing her hands for almost a whole minute, she dried them off and could see the door to Dexter’s lab was open. Her forehead wrinkled as she saw him holding a UV light to his face, looking excited, his mouth gone slack. As she got closer she could see there were specks of some sort of fluid covering most of his cheeks.

“I’m really hoping that’s blood and not some other bodily fluid” Kayla teased, sneaking up on him.

“The hazards of a crime scene” Dexter shrugged, grabbing a wipe as he began scrubbing at his face.

“Here, let me” Kayla exclaimed, seeing he was completely missing the droplets.

He wheeled closer to her on his chair, as she placed a finger underneath his chin, tilting his head up. Grabbing a new wipe she began cleaning his cheeks in a downward motion, grimacing at the coppery colour the wipe changed to. Dexter felt his hands begin to fidget the longer she held his chin in place, the invasion of his personal space feeling strange, but not unwelcome.

“So, I’m guessing we’ve got a new Vic then?” Kayla suggested, as he looked at her blankly, as if lost in some sort of trance.

“Huh?” He replied, uselessly.

“You got this from a crime scene, right?” Kayla clarified, cleaning up the last speck of blood.

“Uh…yeah. A guy went splat off the causeway” Dexter told her, as she finally moved her hand away, allowing him to push his chair back a little.

“’Went splat’?” Kayla chuckled, as Dexter laughed nervously.

**_Since when did he get nervous? Why was she even talking to him? Was she suspicious…or was it something else?_ **

“Okay, listen up. We just got an I.D for the body underneath the causeway. His name was Ricky Simmons…he was a Cop” LaGuerta announced, stepping out of her office.

Dexter could see how Kayla tensed up instantly, her head snapping towards Sergeant Doakes, who looked to be in shock. The two shared some sort of secretive communication when their eyes met, as the older man ushered her over. Dexter watched as she did as she was told, and Doakes led her out of the department with a grim expression.

**_What the fuck was that?_ **

* * *

“They're telling me Ricky Simmons was under deep cover in Carlos Guerrero's family. He'd been working the gig for 10 months, and everything was good. But this...going after his wife...Guerrero's crossing a whole new line. Now he's gone and pissed off the entire Miami police department” Captain Matthews announced, at their newest crime scene.

When Doakes and LaGuerta had gone to inform Ricky Simmons’ wife of his death, they had found her bleeding out on the carpet. Doakes still seemed to be shaking from the encounter, as he grit his teeth hard enough to shatter the pearly whites.

“Is there any word on the wife?” Doakes questioned the Lieutenant, looking uncharacteristically anxious.

“She should be in surgery by now” LaGuerta replied, as an Officer ushered her over to a nearby desk.

“You okay?” Kayla mumbled, reaching out to touch Doakes’ arm.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m fine” Doakes stated, rubbing a hand over his face.

“James, you don’t have to be here—” She began, but he cut her off.

“I’m not leaving until I find the cocksucker that did this” Doakes insisted, as Kayla lowered her hands to intertwine with his for a moment, giving a comforting squeeze.

Dexter’s eyes flickered between the pair during this interaction, mindlessly snapping a picture of them, instead of the crime scene. No one else seemed to notice the strange behaviour that the pair had been displaying since the victim’s names were announced. They must have known them. Dexter frowned at their linked hands, and found himself wondering, not for the first time, what their relationship was exactly.

“Qué pasó?” Angel asked, appearing behind Dexter, making him flinch.

“There's an inconsistency somewhere…it's the answer to a question we haven't thought of yet…” Dexter trailed off, finding strange blood spatter near an armchair.

He crouched down, careful not to touch anything unnecessarily and looked underneath the furniture. A smirk played at his lips as he found a new piece of evidence, looking back up at Angel.

“Look!” Dexter exclaimed, as Angel kneeled down beside him, pulling a phone out from underneath the chair.

“Whose is it?” LaGuerta inquired, walking towards the group.

“Probably hers. Ricky Simmons, her husband - Last number dialled” Angel exclaimed, holding the phone out.

“I got it” Doakes insisted, grabbing the object before anyone else could.

“Uh, Doakes? I think you’re forgetting something” Kayla stated, gesturing over to the two men still crouching on the floor.

“Right…Good work, Angel” Doakes replied, quirking an eyebrow, before turning on his heel to leave.

“…At least he didn’t tell me to fuck off this time” Dexter pointed out.

* * *

Dexter’s eyes fluttered open early the next morning as he heard a loud banging sound from his front door. He turned over in bed to see it was only seven in the morning and figured it must have been Debra wanting to bounce her latest ideas off him. Not bothering to put a shirt on, he stumbled over to his front door, ripping it open with an annoyed expression. His mouth went slack when he saw who was standing on the other side and had to do a double-take.

“Kayla, what are you doing here?” Dexter frowned, meeting familiar blue eyes.

Kayla opened and closed her mouth a few times, letting her gaze drift over his body, as he was clad in nothing but a pair of joggers riding low on his hips. She cursed the blush growing on her cheeks, and forced her gaze away from him, letting out an awkward cough.

“Sorry…I, uh…it’s early…I didn’t realise you’d be…” Kayla mumbled, gesturing towards his chest.

“Shirtless?” Dexter finished, confused at her reaction.

“Well, I’m definitely starting to see why Doakes hates you so much” Kayla said, under her breath, her eyes flickering back to his abs.

“How do you know where I live?” Dexter asked, suspicious.

“Oh, right. Debra. She’s enlisted my help with finding this Ice Truck, and she said you’d help, so…” Kayla trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I bet she did” Dexter murmured.

“I can go if it’s not a good time” Kayla suggested, as Dexter shook his head.

“No…uh, no. It’s fine. Come in” Dexter replied, backing away, remembering what was stuck on his fridge.

**_The gruesome souvenir from the Ice Truck killer could be hard to explain._ **

He quickly grabbed the doll’s head and shoved it into the freezer, slamming the door shut in one quick motion. He turned back to her with a forced smile, hoping she hadn’t seem his actions. Luckily, she seemed far more interested in surveying his apartment, her eyes darted around what he called ‘home’.

“Well this is very…clean” Kayla announced, seeing that everything seemed to be perfectly organised.

“What’s in the bag?” Dexter questioned, seeing she was sporting a heavy-looking tote on her left shoulder.

“Just my laptop. Why’s it so cold in here?” Kayla inquired, looking over at his air conditioner.

“I like it cold” Dexter shrugged, as she walked over towards his desk.

“You’ve got a library going on in here, huh? No wonder you’re smart” Kayla suggested, running her hand along the shelf harbouring most of his books.

“Deb’s already put the word out with patrol. How are we going to be able to help her find this Ice Truck?” Dexter queried, as a smirk grew on Kayla’s lips.

“CCTV” Kayla exclaimed, as Dexter shook his head.

“The Ice Truck killer isn’t going to be seen leaving the vehicle in front of a camera” Dexter pointed out, as Kayla held up a finger.

“But it doesn’t mean we won’t spot him on the speed camera’s” Kayla went on, as Dexter felt his lips twitching into a smile.

“…You’re good” Dexter admitted, impressed.

“I’ve had no luck so far though, that’s why I came here. Two eyes are better than one…shit, do you have kids?” Kayla asked, coming to a halt when she spotted a picture of two smiling kids on his desk.

“No. They’re my girlfriend’s kids. Astor and Cody” Dexter told her, a fond tone to his voice.

“Girlfriend? Oh… ** _oh_**. This isn’t good” Kayla frowned.

“What?” Dexter questioned.

“I doubt your girlfriend is gonna’ like some random chick coming over to your apartment, Dexter” Kayla explained, as he waved his hand.

“Rita doesn’t worry about that kind of stuff” Dexter dismissed, as Kayla gave him a look.

“She’s a woman. Of course, she worries about it…look, it’s fine. I can just—” Kayla began, turning on her heel, as Dexter reached out to grab her arm.

They both seemed a bit surprised by this action, as Dexter muttered something under his breath, before jerking away. Kayla stayed in place, tilting her head a little, her eyes boring into his.

**_There was that look again. Like she could look right through him._ **

Dexter ran a hand through his hair, as he felt a small shiver go down his spine, averting his gaze quickly.

**_He needed to put as much space between him and the confusing woman as possible._ **

“I’ll, uh, phone Rita. There’ll be no issue. You’ll see” Dexter informed her, grabbing his phone from the desk.

**_Great job, Dexter._ **

Kayla watched him as he dialled his girlfriend’s number, placing the phone to his ear, trying to figure out what to say.

“Hey. It’s me. Dexter. I just wanted to let you know, uh…I have a girl around my place right now. But nothing’s going on, so there’s no need to worry. Speak soon” Dexter exclaimed, hanging up the call and looking back to Kayla.

“…What the fuck was that?!” Kayla cried, holding her hands out in exasperation.

“Too much?” Dexter frowned, as Kayla pinched the bridge of her nose.

Unsurprisingly, Rita phoned back a few minutes later in a panic, thinking she was being cheated on. Dexter attempted to console her, but he only made things worse. Kayla shook her head as he continued to dig his own grave.

“Are you…are you breaking up with me?” Rita exclaimed, as Dexter grimaced.

“No! No, of course not. I just…should I not tell you this sort of thing?” Dexter frowned.

“You’ve had other women in your apartment?!” Rita all but screamed.

“…Does my sister count?” Dexter asked, as Kayla facepalmed.

“Is she prettier than me?” Rita sobbed, making Dexter groan.

“What?” Deter questioned, feeling like he was losing his mind.

“Is she pretty?” Rita insisted, angrily.

“Uh…I mean…I guess…” Dexter stuttered, as Kayla’s jaw dropped open.

“ **You guess?!** ” Both women cried at the same time, deafening Dexter.

“I’m really not sure what you want me to say right now” Dexter sighed, scrunching his eyes shut.

“I thought it was bad enough when you invited me on a double date with your sister—” Rita began, but was cut off by Kayla’s loud voice.

“Wow, I take back what I said before. You’re an idiot” Kayla mumbled, as Dexter gave her a look.

“Who was…is she still there?!” Rita gasped, as Kayla ushered for Dexter to give her the phone.

He reluctantly did so, as Kayla made a gesture for him to stay where he was, as she walked out of his apartment, slamming the door behind her. Dexter looked around him, wondering how the hell he had managed to get himself in such a situation.

**_Who knew relationships could be so complicated?_ **

* * *

Over ten minutes later, Kayla finally came back into the apartment with a smile on her face. It was a stark contrast from the expression on Dexter’s face, who was slouched against his desk chair, now clad in a yellow shirt.

“Really? Aw, thank you, Rita” Kayla exclaimed, before holding her hand over the phone, muting the call for a second.

‘She’s so nice’ – Kayla mouthed to Dexter, who nodded slowly, having no idea what was happening.

“I don’t know how you put up with it. Yeah…of course. I’ll tell him. Okay, talk later” Kayla said, hanging up the call.

“What did she say?” Dexter cringed.

Before he could stop her, Kayla had slapped him around the back of the head, causing him to cry out in pain. She was a lot stronger than she looked.

“That was the gist of it” Kayla shrugged, mischievously.

“So, do I still have a girlfriend?” Dexter asked.

“I managed to convince her this was a work thing. She seems like such a sweetheart, you got lucky, man” Kayla exclaimed.

“I know” Dexter sighed.

* * *

By midday, the pair were no closer to finding the elusive Ice Truck and were now sprawled out on the floor next to Dexter’s couch, their laptops in front of them. There had been silence for the last few minutes, but Dexter was surprised that it wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt…easy.

“…How’re you holding up?” Kayla asked, eyes flickering between him and the computer screen.

“Happy to know I’m not single” Dexter replied, causing her to roll her eyes.

“I meant about having a decapitated head thrown at you a couple of days ago” Kayla clarified.

“Ah, that” Dexter nodded.

“It really hasn’t fazed you at all, has it?” Kayla realised.

“Guess I’m just well adjusted” Dexter joked, his nerves returning.

“Dexter, I’m not here to judge how you’re feeling or not feeling…you can relax, you know?” Kayla insisted, as his forehead wrinkled.

“You don’t think it’s…weird?” Dexter asked, turning to her.

“A little, I guess. But there’s nothing wrong with that” Kayla shrugged.

“Your partner wouldn’t agree” Dexter pointed out, as Kayla began to fidget with her hands.

“Doakes is just going through some stuff right now. He’s on edge” Kayla told him.

“Isn’t he always?” Dexter scoffed.

“He’s not—holy shit, was that it?” Kayla gaped, spotting a familiar vehicle whiz by on Dexter’s screen.

He quickly tapped at his computer to send the CCTV footage back, his eyes widening when he saw she was right. They had found it.

“Debra’s gonna’ lose her shit!” Kayla grinned, shaking his arm, excitedly, as Dexter shared her expression.

* * *

Kayla’s expectations were accurate, as Debra had been able to send a patrol out near the speed camera’s that spotted the truck. She was soon able to track the vehicle down, where they found frozen fingertips inside, with multi-coloured nails. The whole thing was a little strange in Kayla’s opinion. It felt like they were missing something. Something big.

“Lieutenant! National database kicked back the DNA match” Batista announced, rushing into the department, the flesh that they had pulled from Ricky Simmons mouth in his hand.

“Norberto Cervantes” Batista exclaimed, as Doakes was already pushing himself to his feet.

“Let me see that” LaGuerta asked, gesturing for the report in Angel’s hand.

Dexter watched from his lab as Kayla reached out to grab Doakes’ hand before he could sprint off. His jaw tensed as he looked down at her, as if he knew what she was going to say.

“Don’t do anything stupid” Kayla hissed.

“I know what I’m doing” Doakes retorted, pulling away from her grip.

She still wouldn’t let up, and went to stand in front of him, holding out her hands, a worried expression on her face. Dexter continued to watch the confrontation with interest.

“Just…stick by the book” Kayla warned, as Doakes scoffed.

“I’m bringing that son of a bitch in” Doakes told her, trying to push past her.

“James, please—” Kayla began, but he cut her off.

“I’m still your superior, Kayla. Don’t forget that. Now get out of my motherfucking way” Doakes told her, as she shook her head.

“I’m going with you” Kayla retorted.

“You’re not cleared for this sort of mission” Doakes stated.

“Then I’ll stay on the side-lines” Kayla exclaimed.

“You’re a real pain in my ass” Doakes rolled his eyes, but relented, as he placed his arm around the small of her back and began to usher her out of the department.

**_Maybe Doakes was part of the reason her file is classified? Maybe he was the reason it was?_ **

* * *

A few hours later, Dexter found himself rushing up the steps of the hospital, having been called there by LaGuerta. She needed his blood report ASAP on the Simmons’ case but stated she couldn’t leave the hospital. He found her down the hall from where Ricky Simmons’ girlfriend was being treated and noticed Kara standing outside the room immediately. Something told him he’d be able to spot her in a room with a thousand people in a matter of seconds. He handed the report to the Lieutenant, before slowly approaching the brunette, analysing her expression. She looked sad…in pain even.

“Hey” Dexter greeted, forcing a smile onto his face.

“Oh…hey, Dexter” Kayla mumbled, trying to match his expression, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Dexter looked into the room to see who presumed was Kara Simmons’, and Doakes, who was brushing his hand gently against her cheek. The word gentle and Doakes never seemed right in the same sentence until now.

“Are you okay?” Dexter frowned, his eyes darting between the sick woman and Kayla.

“I’m not the one who’s just gone through life-saving surgery, am I?” Kayla shrugged.

“You look like you have” Dexter admitted, seeing how all the colour seemed to have drained from her face.

“Wow, you’re all charm” Kayla scoffed, with a shake of her head.

“Do they think she’ll pull through?” Dexter asked, as Kayla nodded.

“They’re hopeful. She’s not out of the woods yet though” Kayla mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself.

“He seems to know her well” Dexter suggested, watching Kayla’s eyes dart to the ground.

“… ** _Oh_** ” Dexter murmured, realising just how close they must have been from her reaction.

“Meet the reason why I barely saw Doakes after I was shot” Kayla exclaimed, gesturing to Kara Simmons.

“She was jealous of your relationship with Doakes?” Dexter frowned, as they slowly walked away from the room, as Kayla nodded.

“But why didn’t you just clear it up like you did with Rita?” Dexter asked, still confused.

“…I may have had a little crush on Doakes back when we first became partners…” Kayla confessed, biting her lip.

“Why?” Dexter questioned, almost in disbelief.

“Jesus, Dexter. I swear your one of a kind” Kayla shook her head, fondly.

“So my therapist keeps telling me” Dexter joked, watching a smile grow on Kayla’s lips.

“Don’t tell anyone, yeah? About any of this. Especially to Doakes” Kayla insisted, as Dexter made a gesture of zipping his lips shut.

“My lips are sealed” Dexter grinned.

“Did you manage to arrest Cervantes?” Dexter questioned, a moment later.

“We’ve got enough to nail his arse for life. Thanks to your blood work I hear” Kayla stated.

“Just doing my job” Dexter shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“So modest” Kayla giggled.

“Are you going to stay here or…?” Dexter queried, as Kayla debated it for a moment.

“I don’t think Doakes will want an audience. He drove us here but there’s a bus outside that—” Kayla started, but he cut her off.

“I’ll drive you home…if you want?” Dexter clarified, as she nodded quickly.

“Thanks, Dex” Kayla replied, as Dexter found his smile growing wider, effortlessly.


End file.
